The environmental damage associated with inappropriate discard practices with respect to batteries is well documented, and yet large volumes of batteries continue to be disposed of inappropriately. Proper disposal prevents dangerous elements (such as, for example, lead, mercury, and cadmium) found in some types of batteries from entering the environment.
Rechargeable batteries have the potential to reduce the frequency of inappropriate battery disposal, because they will be discarded less frequently. However, the prevalence of non-rechargeable batteries remains.
Additionally, disposable batteries wane and lose charge with increased usage. Therefore, battery users may often discard such batteries before they have fully discharged, in order to avoid the risk of batteries dying suddenly in the midst of usage. Consequently, batteries may frequently have power remaining at the time that they are discarded, and such power is thereby potentially wasted upon disposal.